Adding machine cover mechanisms



April 27, 1965 R. R. GALLANT ADDING MACHINE COVER MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 11, 1963 In ven for Re /bald R. a/lam United States Patent 3,180,572 ADDING MACHINE COVER MECHANISMS Reginald R. Gallant, Bristol, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 315,509 3 Claims. (Cl. 235-1) This invention relates to adding machines and more particularly to mounting and guiding structures for covershells for such machines.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a simple and efficient mounting, guiding and detenting mechanism for an adding machine cover-shell.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple and efficient, concealed mechanism which will hold normally a cover-shell firmly in effective position, but which through force applied to the cover-shell at a given point will allow its displacement readily and conveniently to mechanism-uncovering positions.

In conjunction with the preceding object it is a further object to render the cover-shell conveniently and efliciently removable from the machine after it first is moved to an uncovering position.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a right-hand side elevation of an adding machine embodying the invention, a portion of the shellstructure at the right hand side of the machine being broken away and only the cover-shell mounting structure of the left being shown;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 1, but the cover-shell is illustrated in several uncovering positions.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional front elevation taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing details facilitating efiicient removal of the cover-shell.

In the drawings, the numeral designates a base for the machine in the form of a base-shell having a floor 11 from which rise walls 12 outwardly sloping at four sides. Said floor 11 supports conventional adding machine structure represented generally by the numeral 15 and which includes a keyboard 16 and ribbon spools 17.

A cover-shell 18 seats normally upon the base-shell 10, meeting it flushly registered therewith along a line 20 through the aid of interfitt-ing tongues 21 and grooves 22 oppositely provided on the base-shell and the covershell.

The cover-shell 18 is supported for movement upwardly and forwardly, off the base-shell 1t and the adding machine structure 15, through the provision of two laterally spaced guide arms 23 which are pivotally carried, as at 24 on individually related brackets 25 that are secured by screws 26 to the base-floor 11. In FIGURES 1 and 2, only the arm 23 and related bracket 25 at the left side of the machine are shown. The extending ends of the guide arms 23 carry the cover-shell 18 pivotally articulated to pins 27 which reach inwardly into holes in said arms from the opposite side Walls of the cover-shell.

Both said arms 23 are normally under a strong spring bias to press the cover-shell 18 tightly matched upon the base-shell 10. For this purpose each bracket 25 carries pivotally thereon a cam arm 28 which under the tension of a spring 30 bears down on a pin 31 of the related covershell guide arm 23. Each said cam arms 28 includes a short cam face 32 which in the approach of the closed position of the cover-shell is cooperative with said pin 31 to exert a strong closure effecting action. Forwardly of said cam face 32, each cam arm 28 has a dwell face 33 which has substantially a concentric relationship to 3,180,572 Patented Apr. 27, 1965 ice the arm pivot 24 whenever the pin 31 rides ofi the cam face 32 onto said dwell face 33 when the cover-shell is given a forward raised position through application of manual force applied thereon at 34 and holding the machine structure 15 rearwardly thereof. The frictional contact of the dwell faces on the pins 31 maintains the arms 23 in whatever positions to which they are moved.

In FIGURE 2 the arms 23 are in a forward limit position and the cover-shell will ordinarily assume the full line position shown. The approximate position of the cover-shell indicated at 18a is suitable for access and change of the ribbon spools 17. The full-line position of the cover-shell is suitable for effective minor machine inspections and repairs.

There is integral with the cover-shell 18, within it at each side, a finger 35 which reaches from the rear of the guide arm 23 thereat to the inner side thereof for the purpose of containing it normally inseparable from the pin 27 to which it is articulated. The front-ends of such fingers 35 are coordinated in form and location in respect to the guide arms 23 so that said fingers retain said arms on the pins 27 at all times, except when the cover-shell in respect to said arms 23 is given the position indicated at 18b. In such position the front edges of the fingers 35 are fully clear of the arms 23. Thus the cover-shell may then be freed for removal by reaching at each side of the machine between the cover and the base shells and pressing and flexing the guide arms 23 inwardly off the pins 23, in the manner indicated in FIG- URES 3 and 4.

It is to be noted that the cover-shell and the base shell are oppositely of diminishing size from the line 20 whereat they meet. This discourages lifting of the machine by grasping the cover-shell and which may raise the latter from the base shell.

What I claim is:

1. In an adding or similar machine having a base for support of adding machine structure and a cover-shell to shroud at least a major portion of said structure, in combination;

(a) means to mount said cover-shell on said base for movement from a structure-shrouding to a structure uncovering position, comprising,

(a1) two widely spaced side arms within the lateral confines of said cover-shell,

(a2) means mounting said arms pivotally on said base to swing in parallel planes on an axis which is in the forward half of the machine,

(a3) means pivotally articulating each of the outreaching ends of said arms to the adjacent inner side of the cover-shell at a location therein which in the closed position of the cover-shell is rearwardly of the said axis and substantially at the level thereof,

(b) means including a cam face associated with said guide arms to urge the latter strongly toward closed cover-shell positions in the final approach range of such position, said cover-shell being adapted to be forcibly moved from its closed-shell position by upward and forward manual force applied thereto,

(0) and means to maintain said arms frictionally stationary in any positions to which they may be moved through force applied to said cover, except in said final approach range of the closed cover-shell position.

2. In an adding or similar machine having a base for support of adding machine structure and further having a cover-shell to shroud at least a major portion of said structure, in combination;

(a) means to mount said cover-shell on said base for movement from a structure shrouding to a structure uncovering position, comprising,

3 (at) two laterally spaced guide arms within the lateral confines of said cover-shell;

(a2) means to support said guide arms pivotally on said base at laterally spaced points in the forward half of the machine for fore-and-aft swinging movement,

(a3) and means pivotally carrying the cover-shell on the extending ends ofsaid arms and comprising between each arm and the cover-shell a pin-and-hole association which are adapted to be severed through manual flexure of said arms in lateral direction while said cover-shell is in an uncovering position,

(b) and means reaching within said cover-shell to such extents into laterally restricting relations with said arms in a manner to suppress severance of the said pin-and-hole associations, except when said covershell is moved substantially into a specific. pivotal relationship With said arms.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2,

(c) a protuberance carried on each of the guide'arms,

(d) a cam-arm having a short cam-face for cooperation with said protuberance in a final covering approach of said cover-shell for forcing the latter to shrouding position,

' (e) and spring means for so forcing said cam-arm,

cover-shell is moved to structure uncovering positions.

No references cited.

7 7 ROBERT L. EVANS, Primary Examiner." 

1. IN AN ADDING OR SIMILAR MACHINE HAVING A BASE FOR SUPPORT OF ADDING MACHINE STRUCTURE AND A COVER-SHELL TO SHROUD AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID STRUCTURE, IN COMBINATION; (A) MEANS TO MOUNT SAID COVER-SHELL ON SAID BASE FOR MOVEMENT FROM A STRUCTURE-SHROUDING TO A STRUCTURE UNCOVERING POSITION, COMPRISING, (A1) TWO WIDELY SPACED SIDE ARMS WITHIN THE LATERAL CONFINES OF SAID COVER-SHELL, (A2) MEANS MOUNTING SAID ARMS PIVOTALLY ON SAID BASE TO SWING IN PARALLEL PLANES ON AN AXIS WHICH IS IN THE FORWARD HALF OF THE MACHINE, (A3) MEANS PIVOTALLY ARTICULATING EACH OF THE OUTREACHING ENDS OF SAID ARMS TO THE ADJACENT INNER SIDE OF THE COVER-SHELL AT A LOCATION THEREIN WHICH IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE COVER-SHELL IS REARWARDLY OF THE SAID AXIS AND SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE LEVEL THEREOF, 